Back rest for hospital beds



July 22, 1941. A. LAUKHUFF 2,250,026 BACK REST FOR HOSPITAL BEDS 7 Filed Sept. 12, 1940 ll luh CMUMV Alfred Laukhuff Patented July 22, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE 2,250,026 BACK REST FOR HOSPITAL BEDS Alfred Laukhuff, Milwaukee, Wis. Application September 12, 1940, Serial No. 356,441

3 Claims.

This invention relates to back rests and refers particularly to a back rest of the type designed especially for use on hospital beds.

One of the other objects of this invention is to provide a structure of the character described which is light and which may be conveniently manipulated and adjusted to any desired degree of angularity.

Another object of this invention is to provide a back rest which will not shift when in position on the bed.

In this respect, it is a further object of the present invention to provide novel means for gripping the mattress of the bed with which the back rest is used to insure against shifting of the rest in any direction.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly efined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the herein disclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

The accompanying drawing illustrates one complete example of the physical embodiment of the invention, constructed in accordance with the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the back rest of this invention in position of use;

Figure 2 is a side View thereof with parts broken away and in section; and

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view through Figure 2 on the plane of the line 3-3.

Referring now particularly to the accompanying drawing, in which like numerals indicate like parts, the numeral 5 designates generally the base of the entire structure which in use lies flat on the top of the mattress 6. This base consists of a flat bar 1 and spaced side rails 8 secured at one end to the bar and connected at their other ends by a cross piece 9.

The spaced side rails 8 are angle irons having a relatively wide horizontal flange which rests on the mattress and a narrower vertical flange. A supporting frame l consisting of a substantially U-shaped angle iron structure having side rails it connected by an end rail I2 is hingedly mounted on the base.

The hinges l3 by which the frame I0 is connected to the base are secured to the flat bar 1 near the ends of the angle iron side rails ll.

Suitable webbing or spring supported metal band lacing M is stretched across the frame l0 to support the cushions. The overall'size of the frame I!) is slightly less than that of the base so as to fit between the vertical flanges of the side rails 8.

To hold the supporting frame II) in different positions of angular adjustment, a U-shaped structure consisting of arms l5 and a connecting member I6 is hingedly connected, as at IT, to the frame 18. Lugs or pins [8 extending outwardly from its arms engage in any selected pair of notches I8 in the vertical flanges of the side rails 8.

Handles 20 on the supporting arms l5 and a handle 2! on the frame In provide convenient means for lifting the frame to any desired position of adjustment.

While the notches 19 are formed like ratchet teeth to guard against accidental displacement of the lugs l8, further assurance against accidental detachment and against disassembly of the arms from the side rails 8 is provided by guards 22. These guards are pieces of channel iron riveted or otherwise secured to the side rails 8 with one flange engaged over the notched portion of each side rail 8 and spaced therefrom a distance just sufiicient to permit the pins or lugs [8 to move from one notch to the other.

From the description thus far, it will be readily apparent that a light, easily manipulated structure has been provided. Its lightness, however, ordinarily would permit it to shift on the bed except for the provision of novel means by which the entire structure is tightly held to the mattress.

To this end, the flat bar 1 is of a length to span the width of the mattress and the ends thereof are bent down to form gripping fingers 23. The space between these fingers is a little less than the full width of the mattress so that the mattress is securely gripped therebetween as illustrated in Figure 1. In this manner, the entire structure is held against shifting in any direction.

The downwardly directed fingers 23 are preferably formed with a convex cross section to bite into the sides of the mattress more readily and also to reinforce their juncture with the bar 1.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A back rest for use on hospital beds and the like comprising: a base adapted to rest on a mattress and including a transverse member having depending end portions to engage the sides of the mattress; a back supporting frame; means hingedly connecting said frame with the base; and means for supporting porting frame in any one of a number of ent positions of inc1ination.

2. A back rest for use on hospital beds and the like comprising: a base having spaced side rails and a transverse member of a length to span the width of a mattress; means on the ends of said transverse member engageable over the sides of the mattress to hold the base against shifting; a supporting frame of a size to fit between the spaced side rails of the base; means hingedly connecting the supporting frame to the base for motion toward and from planar alignment with the side rails; and means connecting said frame the back supdiiferwith the side rails to adjustably hold the frame in different positions of inclination.

3. In a hospital bed back rest: a supporting base adapted to lie flat on the mattress; a back support hinged to the base; means for holding the back support in different positions of inclination with respect to the base; and means for securing the entire structure against shifting on the mattress comprising downwardly extending members on the base adapted to engage over the sides of the mattress, the space between said downwardly extending members being less than the overall width of the mattress so that the mattress is clamped therebetween.

ALFRED LAUKHUFF. 

